ayam masak kicap

Azlin Bloor’s ayam masak kicap is a rich, thick Malay chicken stew with sweet and savoury soy flavours. Her selected stove version first browns marinated chicken, then finishes it with a sauce, aromatics, capsicum and tomato.

Chicken portions are rubbed with salt, turmeric, dark soy sauce and black pepper. The sauce is mixed separately from sweet soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, tomato ketchup and water, while onion, garlic, ginger and chillies are prepared.

The chicken is partially fried and drained on kitchen paper. Most of the frying oil is poured away, leaving a small portion to sauté onion, garlic, most of the ginger and sliced chillies; a few ginger strips are kept for garnish.

Chicken and capsicum join the pan before the sauce is stirred in. A covered simmer finishes the chicken, then tomato is added. Water can loosen the sauce if needed, and the dish rests briefly before chopped chives finish it.

Bloor suggests steamed white or brown rice, with quinoa or millet as other grain accompaniments. The chicken remains the thickly sauced part of the meal, with ginger and chives adding a fresh finish.